Mercerizing apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

P. EDLIGH. MERGERIZING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 15, 1903.

lilnirien Stratus Patented February :28, 1905.,

PAUL EDLTCH, OF TRIEBES, GERMANY.

lllllEFlGlEl-HZIING APWAl lJ tTtJ$H SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,569, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed July 15, 1903. Serial No. 165,705.

Be itknown that 1, PAUL Enmou, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Triebes, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVlercerizi ng rtp mratus, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for merccrizing cotton fabric wherein the fabric passed Lminterrupted1y through the initial tension-mac]line, then through the proper n iercerizing device, and then through the final tension-machine. While with the known machines relating to this art the fabric as soon as it leaves the initial tension-machine has to be transported by hand to the mcrcerizingdevice proper and after going through the same has to be transported by hand to the final tension-machine, the present invention provides for a continuous treatment of the fabric in these several apparatus, which have been combined in one mechanical combination.

In the annexed drawing the apparatus is partially represented in vertical section and partially in side view. It consists of three main parts to wit, the preliminary tensioning-machinc B, the real mercerizing-machine U, and the widening-machine D. Eventually the padding-machine A may be arranged in front of the whole apparatus. These main parts are combined to an organic whole in such a manner that the fabric may pass them without interruption, and in consequence thereof such treatment of the fabric is rendered much cheaper and more rapid than was hitherto the case. l urthermorc, the fabric is prevented from contact with the hands of the attend ants, and consequently its quality cannot suffer any loss. The fact that the fabric is subjected to a tension lengthwise and crosswise in the final tension-machine immediately after leaving the mercerizing device proper produces an extraordinary sheen on the same which cannot be produced by any of the existing machines for purposes of this kind. The parts A and B correspond with the known single arrangements of such art; but the mercerizing device U and the final tension-machineD diiler materially from former arrangements of the The mercerizing device 0 consists same kind.

of the trough 20, which has adouble bottom in which cold water is pumped to keep the lye cool. .ln the trough 20 are the dipping rollcrs 15 16, and in the upper part of the trough are stretching-rellers 21 23. Over the trough 20 are four pressure-rollers 2 -1, 25, .36, and .27, arranged one above the other, o f which 21 and 26 can be heated by means of steam or an electric current. The rollers 2 1: and 26 are made of cast-iron, as are also the rollers and 27; but the latter are coated with hard rubber. The linal tension-machine l) is arranged in such a way that the fabric in passing through the same is formed into vertical tension-fields, for which purpose the rollers 31, 32, 3 1-, 35, and 37 serve. in this manner the route of the soaked fabric through the final tension-machine can be made longer to any required extent, according to the nature of the fabric which is being treated, without the weight of the tension-chain required for such longer route requiring more power, because such additional weight will be completely counteracted by the vertical tensionlields and will therefore not increase the resistance.

The action of the ap mratus is as follows: The fabric wound upon the roller 1 conducted, through the guide-rollersQ. 3 4c 5, into the trough 6, containing linishing matter, thcn travels between the rollers 7 8, over the guide roller 9, through the trough, and arrives, through the rollers 8 10 and guide-roller 11, into the preliminary tensioning-machine lrl. At 12 the material is inserted into the grippers or clamps of the chain and tcnsioned to about three inches beyond its normal width. Thus prepared the material leaves the tensiouingmachine at 13 to pass into the mercerizing arrangement U. Thereby it travels over the roller 14;, the dipping-rollers 15 16, and the rollers 17 18 19, the roller 18 equalizing the longitudinal pull on the fabric between the apparatus B and b that is to say, it yields when the fabric is pulled too tautand tensions up it the material is slack. For this purpose the said roller 18 is so arranged that it can be automatically adapted as to height-J. (2., can be moved up or down. From the guide-roller 19 the fabric which in the apparatus C has lost about two to three inches of the excess width required in the tensioning-machine B, passes to the stretching-rollers 21 22 23 and then passes over the pressure-rollers 2st 25 26 27, the powerful perpendicular pressure of which assists the lye to thoroughly penetrate the fibers. The rollers 24 and 26 may be heated by steam, electric current, or the like, as mentioned above, if the material is to receive a dull wool-like appearance instead of a silk-like sheen. This will heat the fabric passing through these rollers, whereby the lye contained in the same will partially dry out and concentrate, producing a loosening and raising up-of the cotton threads, so that the fabric obtains a hairy surface and a wooly appearance. This also makes the fabric more elastic. The rollers 2% and 26 are of cast-iron, as are also the rollers 25 27 but the latter can be provided with resilient coverings of vulcanite to increase their efficiency. During the passage of the material from the pressurerollers of the mercerizing apparatus C to the widening-machine D the longitudinal tension between G and D is equalized by the ascending and descending roller 28. The fabric is again picked up by tensioning-chains at 29 30 and again stretched to a width of, say, three inches. These and the other measures referred to are of course only mentioned as approximate examples. Thus very tightly stretched the fabric passes through the machine D, over the long path 30 31 32 34 35, and through the rinsing-trough 36, in which it is squirted on both sides. The fabric leaves the tensioningchain at 37 and is freed from its remaining moisture by passing between pressure-rollers, after which it is delivered by the folder 38 and laid on the truck 39.

Having now fully explained my invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the padding-machine, a mercerizing device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough containing mercerizing fluid, means for conducting the fabric through said fluid, of dryingrollers through which the fabric is adapted to pass as it leaves said trough, of means for heating said drying-rollers and a final tension-machine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercerizing device.

2. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the padding-machine, amercerizing device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough, a double bottom for said trough through which water may be pumped to cool the mercerizingfiuid and a final tensionmachine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercerizing device.

3. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the padding-machine, a mercerizing device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough, a double bottom for said trough through which water may be pumped to cool the mercerizing fluid, means for conducting the fabric through said fluid, of drying-rollers through which the fabric is adapted to pass as it leaves said trough, of means for heating said dryingrollers and a final tensionmachine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercerizing device.

f. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the padding-machine, a mercerizing device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough containing mercerizing fluid, means for conducting the fabric through said fluid, of dryingrollers through which the fabric is adapted to pass as it leaves said trough, of means for heating said drying-rollers and a final tensionmachine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercerizing device, of a rinsingtrough through which the fabric travels on leaving the final tension-machine, means of squirting the fabric on both sides when passing said trough and means of removing the remaining moisture from the fabric after leaving said trough.

5. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric-passes directly from the padding-machine, a mercerizing device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough containing mercerizing fluid, means for conducting the fabric through said fluid, of dryingrollers through which the fabric is adapted to pass as it leaves said trough, of means for heating said drying-rollers and a final tensionmachine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercerizing device, of a rinsingtrough through which the fabric travels on leaving the final tension-machine, means of squirting thefabric on both sides when passing said trough, and pressure-rollers through which the fabric passes when leaving said trough.

6. In an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the padding-Inachine, a mercerizin g device proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough, a double bottom. for said trough through which water may be pumped to cool the mercerizing iiuid and a final tension-machine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the mercer izing device,of a rinsing-trough through which the fabric travels on leaving the final tensionmachine, means of squirting the fabric on both sides when passing said trough and pressurerollers through which the fabric passes when leaving said trough.

7. in an apparatus for continuously mercerizing cotton fabric, the combination of a padding device, a preliminary tensioning device to which the fabric passes directly from the pzulding-inachine, a mercerizingdevice proper which receives the fabric directly from the padding-machine provided with a trough, a

double bottom for said trough through which water may be pumped to cool the mereerizing fluid, means for conducting the fabric through said fluid, of drying-rollers through which the fabric is adapted to pass as it leaves said trough, of means for heating said drying-roll ers and a final tension-machine for widening the fabric as it is passed from the inercerizing device, of a rinsing-trough through which the fabric travels on leaving the tension'machine, means of squirting the fabric on both sides when passing said trough and pressure-rollers through which the fabric passes when leaving said trough.

In tcstinion y whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL ElJLlUH. \Vitnesscs:

1*). L1 acorn), J. BARN'lCI-t. 

